Lia Thomas vs Katie Ledecky: How Far Is She From Breaking NCCA Records?

Whenever you talk about competitive swimming, Katie Ledecky is a name you can never ignore. The 24-year-old American swimmer is not just one of the most decorated Olympians ever, but she is also one of the best female swimmers the world has ever seen. However, with Lia Thomas joining the women’s swimming, the speculation about her breaking Ledecky’s records is brewing rapidly.

This year’s NCAA championships kicked off with burning controversy over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas taking part in the women’s swimming competition. Many believe her victory is a result of her sheer physical advantage as before her transition she was in the University men’s swimming team for three years.

How far is Lia Thomas from breaking Katie Ledecky’s NCAA records?

Amidst the controversy, Lia Thomas has set quite a few swimming records in the NCAA championship. While she is quickest amongst the swimmers competing against her, she is still behind the Olympic champion Katie Ledecky by some seconds.

Katie currently holds the world record in women’s 500-yard freestyle at 4:24.06 seconds on the clock; Thomas put in a spectacular performance and clocked a time of 4:33.24. However, her eligibility in the women’s swimming competition remains controversial.

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New rules for transitioning swimmers

Before the commencement of the championship, USA Swimming announced a new set of standards for transitioning athletes. According to this, they have to show a concentration of testosterone below 5 nmol/L for 36 months.

Furthermore, the trans athletes will have to prove that their prior physical development as a male doesn’t give them any advantage over female athletes competing in the same event.

While the NCAA didn’t implement these changes for this year’s championship, they will surely continue discussions over it in the foreseeable future.

NCAA said, “a competitive difference in the male and female categories and the disadvantages this presents in elite head-to-head competition,” but also acknowledged it will be “unfair” and “potentially detrimental on schools and student-athletes intending to compete in 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships.”

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Before these new guidelines are implemented, Can Lia Thomas break the records of Katie Ledecky?